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Cross the Bridge - July 5, 2016

2016Jul 05

COMMENTS

I'll Take Door Number 1 - Tuesday, July 5th 2016

Acts 16:6-7

"Now when they had gone through Phrygia and the region of Galatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia. After they had come to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit did not permit them."
NKJV

Have you ever had God close a door that you thought was open? What was your reaction? Did you moan and complain, or did you thank God for the closed door while praying about what to do? Prayer is a good thing. Paul exhorts us to "pray without ceasing" (1 Thessalonians 5:17), but this doesn't mean to stop looking for other open doors. You can pray while taking action. What did Paul and his crew do when the Lord closed a door? Did they sit around and moan to one another about how difficult it was to be a Christian and how they wanted to minister in Bithynia but the Lord would not let them? No, they didn't! They kept moving forward as God revealed to Paul the door that He had opened.

Acts 16:10 "Now after he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them." NKJV

Although God closed some doors for Paul and his crew, God opened the doors to Macedonia in order that Lydia would be saved and the door to Europe would be opened to the Gospel. You see, sometimes the door that God closes opens the door to something awesome that He has in store. What should we do when God closes the door? Don't try to kick in the door! Don't peep through the doorknob and don't look under the door. Instead, prayerfully try another door. Take a step of faith. The rest is up to God. Press forward.

Philippians 3:13-14 "Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." NKJV

Life Lesson: Closed doors are a blessing.

Dear God,
Thank You for saving me. Thank You for allowing me to serve You in whatever way You have planned for me. Please forgive me for the times that I have tried to force open doors that You closed. Give me eyes to see the doors that You want me to go through and the courage to go through them. I pray this in Jesus' name, amen.